Xiao Yuan followed behind Mei Ruolan, her voice delicate, "Miss, Zhan Ran has such a good temper; for him to use such a heavy hand, they must have been truly excessive!"

Mei Ruolan remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together, her feet moving swiftly as she floated along at an incredible speed.

Xiao Yuan exerted her Qinggong to the utmost, struggling to keep pace. Before she could utter a second sentence, they had already arrived at the Quieting Garden.

The Quieting Garden was as serene as ever, a gentle breeze rustling through the air. Gong Qingyun, clad in a white robe, was practicing her swordplay under the blazing sun, a faint smile gracing her exquisite melon-seed face.

When immersed in her sword forms, she was completely at ease, a pleasant warmth spreading throughout her body; practicing the sword was not a hardship but the most marvelous experience.

It was precisely for this reason that her sword art was so exquisite, ranking first among the Seven Courtyards.

Flashes of sword light illuminated the training ground, warding off the oppressive summer heat.

Mei Ruolan’s feet did not pause; she swept past and entered her own small courtyard.

The cold light retracted, and Gong Qingyun stopped, holding her sword steady. "Xiao Yuan, what is wrong with the Eldest Miss?"

Xiao Yuan stopped, turned around, and sighed, shaking her head. "Alas... Zhan Ran has caused trouble again!"

Gong Qingyun's bright eyes flickered, and she asked casually, "What kind of trouble?"

"He crippled Zhang Ganxuan’s internal energy!" Xiao Yuan stamped her foot, her face etched with worry. "He just got out, and now he’s going back in! He truly is...!"

"He crippled Zhang Ganxuan’s internal energy?!" Gong Qingyun’s expression instantly changed.

Xiao Yuan shook her head repeatedly. "The Miss is truly angry this time; he's in deep trouble!"

Gong Qingyun's delicate brows furrowed in thought.

Xiao Yuan hurried to say, "Sister Gong, I must leave now... Alas, the Miss rarely loses her temper; this time, I fear even speaking up for him won't help. Zhan Ran is truly...!"

Shaking her head, she started towards the courtyard.

Gong Qingyun called out, stopping her, and murmured, "Xiao Yuan, there must be some hidden story behind this. Junior Brother Zhan Ran has profound cultivation; he would never injure someone without reason."

Xiao Yuan nodded quickly. "Exactly, exactly! There must be a hidden story!"

"Don't go to the Eldest Miss yet; let her have some time alone to calm down," Gong Qingyun instructed.

"This..." Xiao Yuan hesitated.

Gong Qingyun quickly added, "Once the Eldest Miss calms down, you can try to explain properly... Defending him now will only add fuel to the fire!"

Xiao Yuan considered this and nodded. "Alright, I’ll listen to Sister Gong!"

Gong Qingyun let out a soft snort. "Since Zhang Ganxuan became a Bronze Armor Guard, he has grown arrogant and looked down on everyone; he was bound to meet this fate!"

"Yes, that fellow is very annoying!" Xiao Yuan nodded vigorously.

Gong Qingyun revealed a trace of a smile. "Fortunately, he didn't kill anyone this time."

Xiao Yuan pursed her lips and smiled sweetly. "Zhan Ran has a very good temper; unless pushed to the brink, he won't take a life!"

Gong Qingyun's eyes flashed, and she gazed deeply at Xiao Yuan, her look seeming capable of penetrating her body.

Xiao Yuan felt a little uneasy and hurried to say, "Sister Gong, I'm leaving now!"

"Mm." Gong Qingyun nodded, her gaze following Xiao Yuan until she entered the courtyard and vanished.

Her delicate brows were tightly knitted, an inexplicable restlessness stirring in her heart. She practiced one more move but found she could not focus. Thus, she left the Quieting Garden, intending to return to the Yaoguang Courtyard.

As she exited the Quieting Garden, four figures approached her head-on; leading them was Zhang Ping'an.

The four men wore grim expressions, tinged with resentment, and were approaching the Quieting Garden without a word when they spotted Gong Qingyun.

"Junior Sister Gong!" The four clasped their fists, forcing a meager smile.

Gong Qingyun returned the salute with a fist-clasp, giving a cold, slight nod. They found nothing unusual in this; she treated everyone this way—her face masked with frost, keeping everyone at arm's length.

They were in no mood to talk at that moment. After exchanging courtesies, they continued forward. Just as they passed by, Gong Qingyun suddenly called out, "Wait!"

The four stopped and turned.

Gong Qingyun asked lightly, "Senior Brother Zhang, I noticed the Miss looked troubled just now. What happened?"

Zhang Ping'an gave a wry smile. "Junior Sister Gong, Senior Brother Zhang was crippled by Zhan Ran!"

Gong Qingyun’s dark eyebrows arched. "Senior Brother Zhang is a Bronze Armor Guard, yet he couldn't defeat Junior Brother Zhan Ran?"

"I never expected Zhan Ran to be this formidable! This ruthless!" Zhang Ping'an shook his head with a bitter smile.

In their minds, the outcome was never in doubt: a disciple who had entered the sect only a year ago against a Bronze Armor Guard. Yet, heaven had played a cruel joke!

Gong Qingyun asked flatly, "How did they end up fighting?"

Zhang Ping'an replied, "Senior Brother Zhang saw his arrogance and reprimanded him a few times, but he showed disrespect to his seniors and retorted, which angered Senior Brother Zhang!"

Gong Qingyun snorted inwardly. Zhan Ran was a monk with high status; even the Eldest Miss treated him with courtesy. For Zhang Ganxuan to reprimand him—wasn't he just asking for trouble?!

"And so they fought?" Gong Qingyun looked at the four calmly.

The four felt uncomfortable under her gaze, sensing that she could see through their every thought.

"Yes," Zhang Ping'an nodded.

"If that were the whole story, Junior Brother Zhan Ran wouldn't have resorted to such brutality," Gong Qingyun mused, her gaze sweeping over the four figures before stating lightly, "There must be more to it, mustn't there?"

Zhang Ping'an looked troubled, stammering, "This..."

Gong Qingyun said coolly, "Is there something that cannot be told?"

Zhang Ping'an sighed, a look of embarrassment crossing his face. "Senior Brother Zhang was utterly enraged and attempted a sneak attack... he ambushed Zhan Ran. Even so, Zhan Ran's extreme measures were still wrong!"

Gong Qingyun nodded, then suddenly offered a slight smile. "No wonder..."

She then gave a light nod and drifted away in her white robes.

The four were stunned. She usually wore a cold expression, like frost, but this sudden smile was like a gap opening in dark clouds, allowing sunlight to pour through.

It took them a while to recover.

"Senior Brother Zhang, how could you say that?!" a round-faced youth whispered.

Zhang Ping'an looked at the three and shook his head, sighing, "I merely told the truth. Too many people saw it; we can't keep it quiet!"

The three said nothing, nodding silently, and together they entered the Quieting Garden.

Li Muchen couldn't wait until evening and left the Mei Residence directly, his movements swift and his gait light.

The moment he stepped outside the Mei Residence, the heat struck him like a physical blow. With the presence of the Bright Lake, the Mei Residence wasn't overly hot despite the scorching sun, but stepping outside revealed the full might of high summer.

He accelerated the circulation of his inner energy, his pores instantly opening. The oppressive heat was driven out, leaving his body pleasantly warm, as if submerged in a hot spring—an indescribable comfort.

The streets of Jinyang City were sparsely populated; in this weather, walking outside could literally cook you.

He swept past the Ranyuan Tower like a gust of wind, leaving Jinyang City in the blink of an eye. Heading east, he climbed a mountain, descended the other side, and arrived at Li Family Village.

Seeing the familiar village stirred a sense of profound kinship in his heart. His entire body relaxed, and a smile spread across his face.

At the village entrance stood an ancient willow tree, its canopy lush and vast, centuries old—rumored to have been there since the village was founded. Beneath the tree was a tablet, weighted down by yellow paper, used by villagers for incense offerings and prayers.

Li Muchen usually passed by in a flash, paying it no mind because it was so familiar.

At this moment, several elderly men and women sat in the shade of the tree. The old men were gathered around a chess game, quiet as mice, while the old women whispered amongst themselves about daily trifles.

A cool breeze drifted by, the willow branches swaying gently, exuding an air of tranquility.

An embroidery-working old woman spotted Li Muchen and quickly called out, "Old Li, Old Li, stop your game! Your Zhan Ran is back!"

"Oh, Zhan Ran is back!"

"Zhan Ran is back..."

The old men and women greeted him one after another, chuckling warmly.

Li Muchen returned their greetings with clasped hands and a slight smile. Though smiling, he maintained a grave solemnity, his bearing calm and collected, exhibiting the demeanor of a high monk.

Li Zhuzi, who had been engrossed in his chess game, looked up when he heard the voices. He waved his hand at Li Muchen and called out loudly, "Third Son, go home first! I'll finish this match!"

Li Muchen nodded, clasped his hands toward the group, and his monk's robes fluttered as he departed.

After he left, the crowd began to chatter, marveling at Li Zhuzi's good fortune in having sons like dragons.

His eldest son held high office in the Mei Residence, and his youngest son was exceptionally talented, a revered monk. Truly, he must have accumulated immense merit in his previous life to deserve such blessings.

Li Zhuzi kept a stern face, grunting a couple of times, feigning indifference, but the upward curve of his lips betrayed his immense pride.

Li Muchen heard all their words and smiled faintly, shaking his head.

His parents didn't want to move to the city precisely because they disliked hearing such praise. Hearing these words made them feel better than any miraculous elixir.

For this reason, he had also advised his elder brother not to rush to move to the city. While living in the city was convenient, one's homeland is hard to leave; it was better to remain in the village.

The courtyard gate was open, utterly silent.

Excitement surging within him, he strode through the threshold, ready to call out.

"Chii!" a light whistle cut the air, and a chilling cold light shot towards him, fast as lightning.

Li Muchen swiftly shifted his body, abruptly moving a foot sideways, but the cold light changed direction, following him, its tip aimed squarely at his chest.

Seizing that brief moment, a cold light erupted from his waist, streaking out like a meteor, colliding with the oncoming blade.

"Clang..." a crisp sound rang out as the two swords met.

His long sword suddenly shattered into fragments, scattering outward like hidden projectiles.

Two fragments shot towards him. He raised his right hand to shield his face, and with two sharp "dings," two white marks appeared on his palm as the fragments fell to the ground.

"Tee-hee, such great strength!" a clear, crisp laugh rang out.

"Second Sister..." Li Muchen slowly lowered his right hand, shaking his head helplessly, and chuckled ruefully, "With that kind of stance, you really intended to kill me!"

Li Yurong was dressed in a light goose-yellow silk blouse. She slowly sheathed her long sword, her movements graceful, swaying like a willow tree, alluring and captivating.

Her eyes curved gently, holding the softness of deep water.

Only Li Muchen was privileged to see such a captivating expression; in front of others, she always maintained a distant, cool indifference.

Li Yurong pursed her lips and smiled. "Little Three, your strength has increased again. Have you truly been in secluded practice?!"

Li Muchen chuckled, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Second Sister, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art lives up to its name!... My strength has doubled; imagine the power now?"

"No wonder!" Li Yurong exclaimed in sudden understanding, examining him from head to toe. "Truly worthy of being Third Son; achieving what others cannot. Have you really mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art?"

Li Muchen pushed a broken piece of his sword back into its sheath, shook his head, said no more, and walked into the courtyard, laughing, "I've reached the fourth layer."

Li Yurong followed behind him, laughing as she asked, "Your sword is too poor; get a new one... The Vajra Indestructible has nine layers, doesn't it? You reached the fourth layer in just one year?"

"Uncle," the curtain of the main room lifted, and Big Sister-in-law Zhao Yiyi emerged gracefully, beaming with surprise.

She wore a thin, small jacket patterned with scattered blue flowers, subtly revealing her exquisite curves. A faint, subtle fragrance drifted out, and her face was rosy against white, charming and lovely.

Li Muchen laughed. "Big Sister-in-law, thank you so much!"

In the year and a half he had been in seclusion, Big Sister-in-law Zhao Yiyi cooked every meal, which Xiao Yuan would collect.

Zhao Yiyi smiled sweetly. "Little Uncle, you've become handsomer!"

Li Muchen laughed heartily. "No matter how handsome, I can’t compare to Elder Brother!"

Li Yurong nudged him. "Hmph! Elder Brother is inside!"

ps: I've created an author survey; everyone should go vote. Also, I urgently need everyone's support—every collection, every recommendation, H